Stranded
by CelestialSonata7
Summary: A vacation for the boys turns into a struggle for survival. Staying safe, protecting each other, and trying to call for help are the only things they can do to stay alive. NO SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Requested by BookWorkKendall and TalidaMueller. Separately of course, but their ideas were so similar that I just combined them into one story. :)**

**I'm soooo sorry this took so long. But school and other stuff kind of captured my time there for a while. But I finished this, eventually, so that's good. :)**

**I reeeeeally hope this story is to both of your expectations. I'm so sorry if it isn't.**

**I'm sorry in advance, because I somehow accidentally put a lot more Logan in it than I meant to. I know TalidaMueller wanted lots of Kendall. I tried my hardest to give everyone a good amount of 'screen time' and 'whumpage', I just, somehow, gave Logan an itty-bitty bit more. Sorry! ^^;**

**This story is multiple chapters. Not too many, but a bit. Less than ten that's for sure. So, if you two don't mind, I'm just gonna upload a chapter a day. Unless it's Friday. Fridays are reserved for 'Damaged' only. :P But after that I'll keep up with a chapter a day. If y'all don't mind.**

**Hope you guys like it! Please tell me if there's something wrong with it that I can know for next time. ^^;**

**No slash, just friendship.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Carlos, would you settle down already?" Logan asked in annoyance. "Quit bouncing in your seat."

"I can't help it!" Carlos said excitedly. "We're going on vacation! And not just anywhere. Maui!"

"Plus, in a private jet!" James added beside Carlos. "I can't believe Gustavo is paying for all of it."

"And that Mrs. Knight allowed it." Carlos added with a smirk.

"Poor Katie." Kendall said. "She really wanted to come."

"And who wouldn't?" James asked. "This is amazing!" He turned to Logan. "Why are you not excited?"

"Come on, Loges." Kendall coaxed as he draped an arm around Logan's shoulders. "Have a little fun. That's what this vacation is for, after all."

Logan sighed, then offered a small nod. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm just a little nervous. I've never been so far away from home before, without adult supervision."

"Relax." Kendall said. "It'll be fun!"

The plane suddenly jerked and jostled, startling the boys as they gripped the arms of their chairs tightly.

James huffed. "Darn turbulence. It's so annoying."

The plane shook again, with more force this time.

Logan frowned. "That one didn't feel like turbulence."

Another quake.

"We are experiencing aerial difficulties." The captain's voice rang over the intercom. "Please put your seat belts on and remain calm."

Despite the command, the boys panicked, clicking on their seat belts as fast as they could and gripping the arms of their chairs for dear life.

"What's happening?" Carlos asked fearfully.

The plane continued to shake and rumble, increasing in force by the minute.

"Maybe I should go see what's going on." Kendall suggested. He started undoing his seat belt.

Logan quickly shot a hand over him, stopping him. "Are you crazy? Don't you dare undo your seat belt!"

Suddenly the plane dipped forward, and plummeted downard.

"Plane malfunction!" The intercom rang out frantically. "Resume crash positions!"

"_Crash_?" Carlos repeated in fear.

James quickly pushed Carlos' head down into crash position as the plane dived down.

There was the deafening sound of the whistling wind, then breaking trees, then shattering glass, then everything went black.

* * *

**Author's note: Expect next chapter tomorrow. Hopefully nothing comes up to stop me. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Sorry the first chapter was kind of short. It was more kind of a prologue. This chapter has a bit more action. ;)**

**Thanks for all the favorites and follows! So many for just one chapter, it made me feel special! ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 2

A coughing fit was what harshly roused James from his sleep. His lungs burned the more he breathed in, and each cough spiked the pain in his head. He carefully lifted his head and looked around.

The plane was completely wrecked. The lights were out, making the room very dark. The only light was an orange glow that emanated around James.

James' eyes widened, when he registered that that orange glow was fire.

The plane was on fire.

"Carlos." James croaked as he gently shook his friend beside him.

The whole plane was filling with smoke, and fast. They had to get out of there _soon_.

"Come on Carlos." James strained, before another coughing fit attacked him.

"Mmm." Carlos moaned. "James?" He croaked, before slowly raising his head. His hand gently prodded his aching head. "What happened?"

"The pla-ne cr-ashed." James said as he coughed. Finally his coughing settled as he cleared his throat. "We gotta get out of here." James turned around in his seat to the seats behind him. "Kendall, Logan!"

No response.

James and Carlos fumbled with their seat belts before they finally freed themselves, then they shot up from their seats and crouched in front of their unconscious friends.

"Guys." James called as he gently shook their shoulders. "Wake up. Come on, you gotta wake up."

"Kendall?" Carlos asked fearfully. "Logan?"

Finally they both started to stir, their heads rolled up, and then they started coughing.

"Wh-at's goin' o-n?" Kendall asked as he coughed.

"The plane's on fire." James said urgently. "We have to get out of here _now_."

"Wh-at about the p-ilots?" Logan asked through his coughing.

Kendall undid his seat belt and stood shakily. "I'll check." He said. "You guys get out, I'll be right behind you."

"Kendall, they could already be dead." James said. "We have to get out."

"Just five minutes." Kendall said. "I'll be right behind you. Now go."

"But-" Carlos started.

"Go!" Kendall ordered, before he pushed passed them towards the cockpit.

"Come on guys." James said as he watched Kendall. "Let's find a way out of here."

The others nodded and followed James in the opposite direction.

They walked to the back of the plane to the door, and James reached out to open it.

"Wait!" Logan said, grabbing James' hand to stop him. "It's going to be hot."

"Then how do we get out?" James asked in annoyance.

Logan looked around, before setting his eyes on the curtain dividing cabins. He quickly tore it off the doorway before wrapping it around the door handle. Then with both hands, he pushed with all his might.

* * *

Kendall pushed the door to the cockpit open. Smoke bombarded his vison and his eyes stung. Tears filled his eyes and his lungs burned. He coughed as he swatted the smoke away and trod forward.

"Hello?" Kendall strained, trying to see through the black smoke that filled the room. "Can anyone hear me?"

Finally he made it to the front seats, where the pilot and co-pilot sat.

"Hey." Kendall called. He reached a hand out to the pilot. "We gotta get out of here."

The second Kendall's hand touched the pilot's shoulder, the pilot's head rolled to the side, covered in blood.

Kendall retracted in shock. He turned to the co-pilot and saw the same thing. Both were dead.

"Oh god." Kendall whispered. He slowly backed away, before turning around to bolt out.

But Kendall stopped in his tracks, when he saw that the fire had spread, creating a wall in the doorway. There was no way out.

Kendall was trapped.

* * *

The heat had seeped through the curtain, burning Logan's hands as he pushed down on the lever, trying to get it to move. Tears of pain slipped down Logan's cheeks and he let out grunts as he worked the door.

Finally it budged slightly, letting heat crawl through the crack.

"Get back." Logan strained as he pushed forward.

Carlos and James backed up, feeling the heat already filing through the door.

The door slowly moved forward, letting more heat in. Sweat dripped down Logan's brow as he kept pushing on the door.

Smoke was filling the cabin fast. James and Carlos covered their mouths as they coughed.

One more strong push, and the door finally flew open. Logan quickly retreated back as fire flew up. He covered his mouth as the smoke filled his lungs and he coughed.

James and Carlos attempted a step forward, but Logan held up a hand to stop them.

Logan tentatively inched closer to the open door, glancing through and down. Solid ground was still pretty low down. They couldn't just climb out of the plane to safety. Falling from that height could result in broken bones.

Logan looked around the door, finally finding the emergency escape button. He quickly pressed it, and a large, yellow slide attached to the bottom of the door inflated all the way down to the ground. The fire lay under the slide, trying to snake around it.

"Hurry." Logan strained through his coughing. "It may not hold for long." He looked around the room, then opened the cabinets around them, pulling out stacks of blankets. He handed one each to James and Carlos. "Wrap these around yourselves before you slide down, to protect you from the flames."

They nodded, taking the blankets and wrapping them around them.

"Carlos,". James said. "You go first."

"But-" Carlos started.

"Go!" James said. "We don't have time to argue!"

Carlos glanced at Logan, who was nodding in agreement. Carlos sighed and quickly wrapped the blanket around himself, then inched to the edge. He tentatively looked over, gulping at the height. Finally, he pulled the blanket tightly around himself and jumped onto the slide, sliding down to safe ground.

Amazed by his unscathed ride down, he pushed the blanket off, coughing at the air entering his lungs, expelling the smoke. He glanced at the top of the slide to his friends, giving them a thumbs-up to indicate that he was okay.

James nodded at Carlos and turned to Logan. "You next."

"James-" Logan started.

"Don't start." James said. "We have to-" The sound of shattering glass cut him off, and he shot his head down the doorway, all the way to the cockpit. His eyes widened when he saw it blocked off by fire.

"Kendall." Logan said worriedly as he looked back to James.

"I got him." James said. "Now go!"

Logan nodded, but grabbed James' arm firmly. "You both better be _right_ behind me." He said fiercely.

James nodded. "Go!" He ordered, before dropping the blanket and shooting down towards the cockpit.

Logan turned back around to the cabinets and grabbed a first aid kit and a survival backpack before jumping down.

James stopped right at the cockpit. Flames obscured his view, but he could make out the faint sounds of coughing from the other side. James quickly looked around for anything that could help him.

Finally an idea hit James and he ran back to their seats, opening the overhead covers. He pulled out all of their suitcases and threw them along the fire, stifling it just enough for him to jump over.

The second James made it through, he saw Kendall on his hands and knees, hacking and gasping for air. James knelt down beside him and grabbed his shoulders.

"James?" Kendall croaked.

James nodded. "Come on, we gotta go!" He slung one of Kendall's arms around his shoulders and pulled him to his feet, then faced the doorway. "We gotta jump." He explained.

Kendall nodded through his coughing.

"Ready?" James asked. Kendall nodded. "Okay." James said, then readied them. "Now!" Then they ran forward and leapt over the suitcases.

Further they ran, towards the exit. James could feel Kendall's strength fading and he hauled Kendall higher around him, trying to carry more of his weight.

They reached the last cabin and James scooped up the blanket he'd dropped before, quickly wrapping it around both of them, and over their heads. Then, keeping a firm grasp on Kendall, they dived forward onto the slide.

The second they hit the ground, James felt arms around him, pulling him further away from the slide and patting down any hitchhiking flames.

"James!" Carlos said.

James flung the blanket off him and sat up, then turned to Kendall, turning him on his back. Kendall was unconscious.

Panic gripped James and he leaned his ear against Kendall's chest, looking for a heartbeat. "He's. . ." James said shakily. "He's not breathing!"

"CPR!" Logan said frantically.

James immediately went into action, lifting Kendall's chin and blowing in two breaths. Then he compressed Kendall's chest. "One. Two. Three. . ."

Carlos and Logan watched with teary eyes as James tried to breathe life back into Kendall. Carlos let out a sob and Logan wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on Kendall." James said, then blew in two breaths. "Come on!" Thirty compressions.

James blew in another breath and suddenly, Kendall erupted in a coughing fit. James quickly helped Kendall on his side.

Carlos and Logan breathed out sighs of relief as they watched Kendall cough.

"Kendall?" Carlos asked.

"Are you okay?" James asked as he helped Kendall.

Once Kendall's coughing settled, he laid back on his back and nodded. "Yeah." He rasped. "You?" He looked at everyone.

Small smiles lit all of their faces up.

"We are now." James said as he patted Kendall's shoulder.

Kendall smiled before slowly sitting up, with James' help.

"So,". Carlos began. "What now?"

Glass shattering brought their attention back to the plane engulfed in flames.

"We need to get out of here." Logan said as he observed the plane. "The fire could spread. The plane might explode."

"_Explode_?" James repeated in shock.

Logan nodded. "If the flames reach the engine it could take out this whole area. We need to move." He said urgently.

"Where?" Carlos asked. "We don't even know where we are!"

"Doesn't matter." Kendall said as he stood shakily. "We need to move, now."

The others nodded and quickly moved through the forested area around them, trying to get as far away from the plane as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Um, not much to say about this chapter. Some Carlos/Logan in here. This is also BookWorkKendall's idea. Hope I did it to your expectations. :)**

**Again, thanks for all the new favorites and follows! Really makes me feel special. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Twilight was approaching, the hot sun setting, leaving a cold chill in the air. The boys trod through the forest before they came to a clearing; A beach. There, they settled, seeming to be far enough away from the potentially dangerous plane.

They set up long logs to sit on, and blankets as beds, then sat along the sand, leaning against the large trunks, resting and catching their breath. James and Carlos had collected enough twigs and branches to start a fire, and they all sat around the warmth as Logan, their future doctor, check them all over for injuries, starting with Kendall, then moving to Carlos. Luckily the only injuries they had were cuts, bruises and burns. No concussions, broken bones, nothing fatal.

Logan finished checking James and sighed, nodding in satisfaction. "Same as them." He nodded to Kendall and Carlos. "Nothing serious, just burns and cuts."

James nodded. "What about you?" He asked.

Logan didn't answer. Instead he pulled the pack they had snagged and started ruffling through it. "Darnit!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Kendall asked.

"There's no flare in here." Logan explained, rummaging through the bag. "There's supposed to be a flare in here to signal passing ships!"

"Logan." James said firmly. "You didn't answer my question. What about you? Are you alright?"

Logan sighed. "What _about_ me?" He asked. "I'm fine." He said, still sifting through the bag. But then he hissed in pain.

"Liar." James said playfully, then scooted closer to Logan. "Let me see."

Logan hesitated, but finally pulled his hands out of the bag and showed James.

James winced at the sight. Logan's hands were badly burned. Blisters and welts and black marks covered his hands.

"When did that happen?" Kendall asked worriedly as he and Carlos scooted close.

James gently held Logan's hands, trying to ignore his hisses and winces of pain as James looked them over. "When he was opening the plane door." James explained. "It was hot, even with the curtain on it."

"Alright, no more 'grabbing things' for you." Carlos said as he took the pack from Logan.

"I'll get the first aid kit." Kendall said as he scooted off.

"Other than this,". James said as he stared at Logan's hands, then he looked up at him. "Are you alright? And be honest."

Logan nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

James nodded. "Okay then."

Kendall came back with the kit and James gently started wrapping Logan's hands in gauze.

Carlos in the mean time, pulled out the canned foods from the pack and started cooking the beans.

When everything was done, and everyone was served up, they ate in silence.

"Do you need help Logan?" Kendall asked as he watched Logan wincing as he held his fork.

"I can feed myself you know." Logan answered a little annoyed, but still gently.

Kendall's face fell sympathetic. "If you're sure."

"I am." Logan offered a small smile.

"What are we gonna do?" Carlos asked. "How will we get home?"

"We'll have to wait for passing ships." Kendall said solemnly. "We can try to signal them somehow. Maybe build a bigger fire."

"But how?" James asked. "It was hard enough finding wood for this little thing." He gestured to the fire they sat around. "How will we find enough to signal a ship?"

"We could explore the island tomorrow." Logan suggested. "When it's daylight. And when we're all well rested."

"That's a good idea." Kendall said.

"So that's your plan?" James asked in annoyance. "Wander around this island until we find something that could maybe help with a signal fire?"

"You got a better idea?" Kendall asked bitterly.

James sighed and slumped in defeat.

"Then it's settled." Kendall said. "Now, let's get some rest."

They all settled down into their blankets and went to sleep.

* * *

The light night breeze, the smell of salt water and palm trees, the soft sounds of rushing waves crashing along the shore. . .

Carlos shot up in his bed. He _really_ needed to go to the bathroom. But where?

Further into the trees would provide enough cover for Carlos to answer nature's call. He quietly stood and walked into the trees, deeper into the forest. Everything was so dark, he could barely see in front of him.

Feeling that he was far enough, Carlos chose a spot in the trees and did his business, then turned around to go back.

Now. . .Which way was back?

Carlos stumbled in what he thought might've been the way he came. Everything was so dark, there was no way to see any landmarks or familiar trees or anything. Fear gripped his heart. He was lost, cold, scared, and on the verge of complete panic.

Along the path, Carlos came across a dimly lit cave. He frowned in confusion. Where was the light coming from? Curiosity led him to the entrance and he peeked in. The light emanated further in, so Carlos tentatively ventured forward.

"Hello?" Carlos called into the cave. His voice echoed down the cave, into the darkness. "Is anyone there?"

Another tentative step forward, and Carlos slipped into the dipping cave, sliding down the rocky terrain. A cry of terror escaped his lips and echoed through the cave.

Carlos rolled and tumbled, his head and body getting scraped and banged. Finally he reached the bottom with a stop, and dust rose up. He coughed, his head spinning and pounding. His vision blurred, before going black.

* * *

Logan woke with a start, breathing heavily as his heart beat a mile a minute. The images of his friends being thrown around in that plane as it crashed, flashed before his eyes over and over again.

Logan sat up. "Stupid nightmares." He muttered in a whisper to himself. He looked over to his sleeping friends, double checking to see if they were alright anyways.

James and Kendall were side by side, sleeping soundly with light snores escaping their lips. Logan smiled lightly at the sight.

But then Logan frowned. Carlos wasn't in his bed.

Logan stood up and looked around for Carlos, his heart racing. He saw footprints in the sand, leading into the woods.

"James." Logan whispered as he ruffled through his bag.

"Wha's goin' on?" James asked sleepily as he looked up at Logan. James and Logan had always been the lightest sleepers. All it took was saying their names to rouse their attention. Kendall and Carlos were the ones to sleep through earthquakes without so much as a stir.

James frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Carlos is gone." Logan said, then finally pulled out the flashlight. "I'm gonna go look for him."

James sat up. "Let me come with you. We could find him faster if we're both looking."

Logan shook his head. "Stay here with Kendall. Carlos probably just went to the bathroom, so there's a chance he could come back without me seeing him."

James sighed. "Fine. Man, I wish our phones weren't busted. This would be so much easier."

Logan smiled sympathetically. "Tell me about it." He headed towards the woods. "I'll be back."

"Be careful." James called after him.

"I will." Logan said back, before disappearing into the woods.

* * *

Logan carefully ventured through the forest, pointing his flashlight ahead of him to light the path. He hissed and switched hands to hold the flashlight, his injuries aching and stinging and burning. The future doctor in him told him that holding a flashlight with the burns he had wasn't going to help them heal any faster and just in fact, might make them worse, but he held firm. He had to find Carlos.

"Carlos!" Logan hissed through the trees quietly. "Are you there?"

Logan shone the flashlight all along the path, looking for any sign that Carlos might've come that way. His light landed on a certain bush with broken branches. Logan stopped and observed them. The branches seemed to have been broken recently. Which either meant that Carlos might have stumbled through that way, or they weren't alone on the island.

Logan prayed it wasn't the latter.

Logan followed the path, finding more bushes like the first along the way. He watched the ground, seeing crushed leaves and twigs. Logan followed it all the way to a small cave and he stopped apprehensively. He tried to peek into it but he was too far away. So he carefully ventured forward.

Logan shone the light down the cave, along the walls, and finally to the bottom.

"Carlos!" Logan exclaimed upon seeing his friend laying unconscious at the bottom.

Logan carefully slid down the steep sloping cave to the bottom. He knelt by Carlos and turned him on his back, then looked him over.

"Come on Carlos." Logan said as he gently shook him. "Wake up."

Carlos' head rolled slightly, then he frowned. "Oooh." He groaned. "What happened?" He brought a hand to his aching head.

Logan breathed in relief. "You tell me. I woke up to see you gone. Then I came looking for you and found you in here." He lightly smacked Carlos' shoulder. "What's the matter with you? You know you're not supposed to go off by yourself! Especially not in some weird place that could be dangerous!"

"S'rry." Carlos slurred as Logan carefully helped him into a sitting position. "I just. . ." He frowned and held his head again, scrunching his eyes in pain.

"Headache?" Logan asked. Carlos nodded slowly. Logan gently moved Carlos' hands from his head and held his head steady so he could look him over. Logan sighed. "Concussion. It's mild though."

Carlos sighed. "Great." He muttered sarcastically.

Logan chuckled lightly. "Well what do you expect when you wander off on your own and fall down a cave? Now come on, James and Kendall are waiting for us to get back."

Logan slung one of Carlos' arms around his shoulders and slowly and carefully helped him up, then they faced the sloping entrance.

"How are we gonna get back up?" Carlos asked.

Logan sighed. "With great difficulty." He said, then started forward.

They stepped lightly and carefully, trying to put as little weight as they could on the slippery ground. They had to get down on their knees and scoot up the ground carefully. They climbed, slipped, climbed some more, slipped again. They made it halfway there and stopped for a rest.

"This would be easier if we could just climb it like a wall." Carlos breathed in frustration.

Logan nodded as he looked to the top, still a little bit away from them. "Do you think you could do it? Even with that concussion?"

Carlos looked up to the top, then assessed his own abilities currently. "I don't know. I'm still pretty dizzy." He looked to Logan apologetically.

"It's okay." Logan said. "I figured as much. Here, hold this." He gave Carlos the flashlight, then took a deep breath, before using his free hand to grip the ground ahead of them.

"Logan, wait." Carlos said. "What about your hands? They're still hurt. You shouldn't be-"

"We don't have any other options." Logan sighed. He looked to Carlos and offered a small smile. "It's okay. Just keep the light steady." He said, then started up the cliff.

Carlos sighed sympathetically, but kept the light steadily in front of them.

Logan dug his hand in front of him, then pulled him and Carlos up further while climbing with his legs. Carlos tried to help the climb but he was still a little wobbly and weak.

Logan's hands stung and burned. He grunted with effort and pain as he climbed, momentarily squeezing his eyes shut with pain. But he kept climbing.

Finally they reached the top and climbed out of the cave, then laid there to catch their breath. Logan turned on his back to rest while Carlos laid on his stomach, still holding the flashlight.

Carlos propped up on his elbows and looked down at Logan beside him. "You okay?" He breathed.

Logan nodded. "Yeah." He breathed, then slowly sat up. Still panting, he started to stand. "Come on."

"Hold on." Carlos breathed as he panted. He grabbed Logan's arm to stop him. "Just a little more rest. You're exhausted, and my head is still spinning."

Logan sat back down with a sigh. "Alright. Five more minutes. But then we have to get back to Kendall and James."

"Deal." Carlos breathed, then flattened on the ground in exhaustion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Lots of fluff in this one. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 4

James bounced his knee anxiously as he waited for Logan to come back. Worry threatened to overtake him and throw him into full blown panic. He didn't have a watch but he was sure that Logan was gone a _long_ time. If it wasn't for Kendall sleeping soundly behind him, he would've been in that forest looking for Logan and Carlos long ago.

And if it wasn't for Kendall's near death experience, James would've woken Kendall long ago to help search for their friends. But Kendall needed rest, so James sat anxiously.

"James?" Kendall croaked sleepily as he sat up.

Well so much for that. James turned to Kendall. "What are you doing awake? You need rest."

"Where are Logan and Carlos?" Kendall asked as he observed their empty blankets. Then he looked to James worriedly. He knew there was something wrong. Waking up to an anxious James shaking with worry was a big tipper.

James sighed. "Logan woke up and Carlos was gone, so he went to look for him."

"By himself?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Like I said; You need your rest." James said. "I stayed here with you, and also in case Carlos came back. They've only been gone for at least twenty minutes. I'm sure they're fine."

Kendall sighed. "This sucks."

James chuckled bitterly. "Tell me about it." Then he fell solemn again.

"You okay?" Kendall asked as he scooted closer to James.

James looked up at him and offered a small smile. "I'm fine. You really should be resting Kendall."

"James." Kendall coaxed gently.

James sighed. "I was just. . .It was scary. . .Almost losing you like that."

Kendall sighed. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't have ran off the way I did. Especially since you were right. The pilots were dead when I got there. It was all for nothing."

"Yeah." James said softly. "But it wasn't your fault. You were just trying to help. Like you always do." He smiled lightly, but it barely reached his eyes before it faded. He sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground. "It was just scary. If I was too late. . ."

Kendall laid a hand on James' shoulder. "But you weren't. You saved my life James. Thanks for that." He smiled at him.

James finally smiled back with a nod. "You're welcome."

The moment was interrupted by the sounds of rustling trees and brushes. Kendall and James both shot their heads towards the forest.

"Logan! Carlos!" They both shouted as they got up and bolted towards the other two.

Logan and Carlos staggered forward. With Logan carrying Carlos around the shoulders, his staggers brought Carlos down as well. He tried to keep Carlos upright, but even with that little break, his strength was fading, the pain in his hands ever present, and ever vigilant. Logan could tell that Carlos was exhausted too.

The two staggered forward too far, but were thankfully caught in the awaiting arms of James and Kendall. James quickly hauled Logan's arm over his shoulders while Kendall did the same for Carlos.

"What happened to you guys?" Kendall asked worriedly as he and James led their tired friends back to their little camp.

"I got lost." Carlos breathed as Kendall gently lowered him to the ground, then sat beside him and allowed Carlos to lean against him. "Then I found a cave." Carlos continued. "And then I fell down it."

"I don't know how long he was unconscious." Logan breathed and James mimicked Kendall's actions with Logan. "He was already out when I found him." Logan continued, leaning heavily against James as he tried to steady his breathing. "He has a mild concussion, but it's not too serious. As long as he doesn't move his head too much."

Kendall immediately shifted his position to look Carlos over. He observed the bump on Carlos' head and sighed. Then Kendall lightly smack Carlos' chest. "What were you thinking going off on you own?" He scolded.

Carlos chuckled weakly. "You can save the lecture. I already got an earful from Logan."

"Well good for you." James scolded lightly. "You should know better." Despite his stern tone, James smiled lightly. "I'm glad you're both okay."

Kendall frowned. "Logan, your hands!" He exclaimed.

Logan's hands, firmly wrapped in white gauze, were caked in dirt, and blood. Some of the gauze was torn and hanging loosely.

"What'd you do?" James exclaimed as he quickly fumbled for the first aid kit behind him.

"The cave was steep." Logan said guiltily. "We had to climb out."

James grabbed the first aid kit and set it beside him, as Kendall positioned Carlos to lean against a log then moved in front of the other two.

"Here, let me see." Kendall said, holding his hand out.

Logan slowly and apprehensively offered his hands to Kendall.

Kendall gently took Logan's right wrist, just above the bandages, then carefully grabbed a loose bandage and started peeling it off.

Logan hissed and grunted in pain as the bandages stuck to his burned skin from the blood. He instinctively pulled his hands back and held them to his chest as he breathed hard through the pain.

"Sorry." Kendall muttered. "But we have to get those off and-"

"I know." Logan breathed. "They need to be cleaned." He shakily re-offered his hands to Kendall, then shot him a pleading look. "Just. . .Like a bandaid." He said shakily.

Kendall nodded with sympathy in his eyes. He carefully took Logan's wrist again, then looked back to him. "You ready?"

Logan nodded, then held his breath. He felt the grip James had around his shoulders tighten reassuringly.

Kendall started ripping the bandages off, ignoring Logan's hisses of pain and keeping a firm grip on his wrist as Logan's instincts told him to pull away again. Kendall unwrapped them as fast as he could, one hand, then the other. Finally he bunched the bandages up and discarded them into the fire pit, then turned around and rummaged through the bag.

Logan slumped against James and breathed heavily. James rubbed Logan's arms comfortingly and Logan smiled weakly at him, then shot a glance at Carlos behind Kendall. "How you doin'?" Logan asked.

"Better than you." Carlos answered bitterly as he leaned against the log and watched.

"Good." Logan retorted with a small smirk.

Kendall turned back to Logan with an uncapped water bottle in his hand and an apologetic look on his face.

It took all of Logan's will power to hold in the groan as he saw it. He sat up again, feeling James sit up with him and lean his chest against Logan's back for support and comfort. Logan took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay." He said shakily.

James slowly moved his arms and took each of Logan's wrists, holding them out for Kendall. He could feel Logan trembling slightly against him. "It's okay." James said softly in sympathy. "It'll be over soon."

Logan nodded, fear still present in his eyes. Then he turned back to Kendall. "Do it." He said softly, then held his breath.

James held Logan's wrists firmly, and turned his palms up for Kendall.

Kendall hesitated, hovering the bottle over Logan's hands. Tears of sympathy sprung to his eyes as he saw Logan hold his breath and squeeze his eyes shut, but Kendall quickly blinked them away. "Okay." He breathed. "Here it comes." And with that, he slowly started pouring the water over Logan's hands.

The second the water made contact, Logan cried out and instinctively tried to pull his stinging and burning hands back, but James held them firmly in place. Logan tried suppressing his cries of pain, dialing them down to grunts through gritted teeth. He dropped his head as tears rose to his eyes.

Just seeing Logan in so much pain brought tears to Carlos' eyes. It was his fault Logan had to go through that. If Carlos hadn't have gone off and fallen down that cave, Logan wouldn't have had to climb out with him and tear up his bandages. He wouldn't have gotten them dirty, they wouldn't have needed cleaning.

Logan's grunts made Carlos' tears spill over and slide down his cheeks, and he finally turned his gaze the other way with a sniffle. He couldn't watch anymore.

"Almost there." Kendall said over Logan's cries. "Just a little more."

Finally the dirt was fully washed from Logan's hands and Kendall stopped the flow of water, re-capping the bottle and setting it aside.

Logan breathed hard as he slumped against James again, a small tear finally making its down his cheek.

James' grip on Logan's wrists loosened to a comforting level, as he lowered them so Logan could rest his arms. James rubbed Logan's arms with his thumbs soothingly as he watched him. "You okay?" He asked softly. Logan nodded weakly.

Kendall grabbed the gauze and wrapped Logan's hands back up, trying to ignore his hisses of pain. "There." Kendall breathed, then looked to Logan. "You good?"

Logan dropped his hands weakly into his lap, leaning against James even more from exhaustion. Logan slowly nodded. "Thanks." He breathed.

Kendall sighed. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

Logan shook his head. "Don't be silly. It needed to be done. It would've been a lot worse if you hadn't."

"I know." Kendall said softly. "But still."

"It's okay Kendall." Logan insisted. "You did the right thing." Finally Kendall smiled at him.

"It's my fault." Carlos piped up softly. The others turned to him. "I'm the one who went out and got lost." Carlos continued. "I'm the one who fell down that cave. I should be the hurt one."

"You _did_ get hurt." Logan said bitterly. "You have a concussion, remember?" He said with a small smirk, then went serious again. "None of it was your fault, Carlos. You didn't plan to get lost. You didn't plan to fall down the cave. It all just happened. You had nothing to do with it."

"But I shouldn't have went out alone." Carlos said. "I shouldn't have been wandering around, without grabbing a flashlight." He looked up at Logan with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry." Then he looked to Kendall and James. "I'm so, sorry."

"It's not your fault." Logan said. "I don't blame you Carlos."

Kendall scooted up beside Carlos and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. "None of us do."

Carlos leaned into Kendall's chest and cried softly. "I'm scared." He whispered. "I don't want to be here. I don't want us to be hurt and lost and stranded on this island with no way to call for help. I'm scared."

Kendall hugged Carlos tightly. "I know buddy. But at least we're together. That's more than we could ask for."

"We'll make it back." James said confidently. "You'll see. They'll have rescue workers looking for us. Search parties everywhere. They'll find us. Who knows? It may even be tomorrow."

Carlos sniffled, then finally nodded, accepting their words.

"It'll be okay Carlos." Logan said softly. "Just stick with us. We can protect each other, just like we always do."

The others nodded with smiles on their faces, and finally Carlos offered a small smile back. "Okay." Carlos whispered.

Kendall rubbed Carlos' shoulder comfortingly. "We should get some sleep." He said.

The others nodded and everyone settled down where they were; Carlos safely in Kendall's arms, and Logan safely in James'. Everyone was asleep in minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: TalidaMueller wanted some Gustavo and Kelly angst in her request. So this is for you girl. :) It's not a lot, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 5

"What do you mean you don't know how long it'll take?" Kelly exclaimed. "I don't _care_ if you have to search the entire pacific ocean! Find those boys and get them home safely! What ever it takes!" She screamed, then slammed the phone down and rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"How ya doin'?" Gustavo asked as he entered the office.

Kelly sighed as she looked up at him. She offered half a nod, but couldn't go through with it as tears rose to her eyes and she broke down, crying softly.

Gustavo walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey,". He said gently. "We'll find them. They're smart boys. They'll be okay."

Kelly calmed down and took a deep breath, before nodding. "I know. It's just. . .Mrs. Knight and Katie are so worried. They haven't stopped crying since last night when we heard the news. I feel so bad for them." Kelly sighed. "I want to help as much as I can."

"I know." Gustavo said gently. "Me too. But there's nothing more we can do except wait for the rescue workers to find them."

Kelly sighed, with a nod. "I just hope they're okay." She said softly.

* * *

"Nuh-uh, it was Carlos!" James yelled.

"No way it was _so _you!" Carlos yelled back. "You're the one who-"

"Guys!" Kendall yelled, ceasing the arguing. "It doesn't matter who ate the last of the food! What _does_ matter is that now, we're out of food. We need to go out and find more."

"How?" Carlos asked.

"We hunt." Logan said, tying a sharpened rock to the end of a long stick to make a spear. The action made him wince as his hands ached but he ignored it as he stood with the spear. "There's got to be some small animals around here we can cook."

"And if not then there has to be some fruit on this island." Kendall said as he picked up his own spear and shouldered their backpack. "Now come on. The day's just started. That gives us a lot of time to look around before we start losing some light. Let's not waste it." He and Logan started towards the woods.

James and Carlos rolled their eyes, but picked up their spears and followed.

* * *

"Stay close." Kendall said. "We don't want to get separated."

"And stay quiet." Logan added. "We don't want to spook any animals that could possibly be our breakfast."

"I hope we find something soon." Carlos groaned. "I'm starving."

They walked for a bit in silence, listening for any signs of animals roaming the woods with them. So far they'd come up empty handed.

"Hey look." Carlos said as he pointed up above into a tree. The others followed his gaze to find a large round object hanging from a branch. "You think it's some sort of fruit?"

"Let's find out." Kendall said as he pulled his spear back in a throwing stance. He looked over to James. "James, catch." Then he threw the spear.

James quickly ran under the object as the spear severed its connection to the branch, and caught it gracefully, then rolled it around in his hands to inspect it.

The others ran over to join James and stared at the brown little ball. "Looks like a coconut." Logan said.

Kendall retrieved his spear, then joined the others.

James found a large rock with a sharp edge, and slammed the ball in the middle, splitting it in half. A white substance poured out from the hollow inside and James quickly held the halves up to stop the spilling. "Yep." He said. "It's a coconut."

"There's another one." Logan pointed into the same tree but different branch.

"Catch it Carlos." Kendall said, and they mimicked their previous actions with the second.

The boys then sat under the trees, slipping their coconut milk slowly to make it last longer, then stood and searched some more.

"I wonder what other fruits are here." Kendall said as he searched.

"Probably lots more." Logan said. "Keep a look out in the trees."

"What about those?" Carlos pointed into another tree.

"Pears!" James exclaimed.

The boys did the same thing to get them down, and continued forward as they ate their pears.

Then a rustle in the bushes stopped their tracks, and they all froze.

"W-what was that?" Carlos asked shakily.

"Maybe it was a rabbit." James suggested.

Then there was a low growl from the bush.

"I don't think that's a rabbit." Logan whispered fearfully.

Then a large panther slowly emerged from the bush, stalking closer to the boys frozen in the middle of the path.

"W-what do we do?" Carlos asked fearfully.

"S-stay calm." Kendall whispered shakily. "Don't make any sudden movements. She might just leave us alone if she thinks we're not bothering her."

Then another large panther emerged behind the first.

"Unless of course,". Logan whispered. "She and her male friend are scouting for food." He said shakily.

The male panther stalked in front of the female, ready to pounce.

"Uh, Kendall?" James whispered.

The panther lowered to the ground, eyes fixed on the boys. His shoulders arched up, his hind legs up ready to leap.

"Run!" Kendall yelled.

The boys dropped their spears and bolted forward, and the panther growled and ran after them.

They ran as fast as they could through the trees, jumping over fallen logs and the like. Carlos, bringing up the rear, chanced a glance behind him. He saw both the panthers in hot pursuit, and gaining.

"They're gaining on us!" Carlos cried.

"Quick! Up a tree!" Logan yelled.

Kendall, leading the front, quickly looked around for a tree easy enough to climb quickly, and high enough to be safe from the panthers. He stopped in front of a trunk. "Here!" He yelled, then started up the tree.

The boys all stopped in front of the tree and started climbing. James boosted Carlos up and Carlos followed Kendall's steps to get up the tree as fast as he could, allowing room for Logan and James to follow.

James got ready to boost Logan up, sending him a sympathetic look. Logan would have to use his hands.

Logan gave him an understanding shrug and allowed James to boost him, then he grabbed onto the tree branches. Immediately his hands stung and burned and he hissed, but kept up a steady pace, making room for James.

James quickly jumped up into the tree and started climbing. He sent a glance down below to see the panthers just reaching the bottom, and jumping up to try and catch him. James climbed higher, trying to get out of reach of the panthers.

Suddenly a panther's claw caught James' left foot, and he cried out. The panther hung onto his foot, trying to weight him down and pull him to the ground. James hung onto the tree tightly, trying to shake the panther off of his foot. His grip was slipping the more he moved. Finally he lost his grip.

James didn't fall far when his hand was caught, and he looked up to find Logan gripping his hand tightly. James could see the pain in his strained eyes.

"James!" Logan yelled. "Grab on!"

James was reluctant. He knew if he gripped Logan's hand it would only cause him more pain. But he also knew that Logan would hate him, and more so himself, if James fell. So James slowly tightened his grip on Logan's hand, bringing his other to grab Logan as well.

The panther jerked and pulled, causing James to cry out as the claw dug into his foot. Suddenly something flew passed James, and he looked up to see Kendall and Carlos, each with coconuts in their hands. They continued to throw them down at the panther until finally, it released its hold on James' foot and fell to the ground.

Logan quickly brought his other hand to grip James and pulled him up beside him. They both rested against the trunk and breathed heavily.

"Are you. . .Okay?" Logan panted as he moved to look James over.

James, still trying to steady his breathing, merely sent a glance down to his foot in response.

Logan immediately went to James' foot, inspecting it. He carefully held it and looked it over. "Not too deep." Logan breathed. He shot a glance down below, seeing the panthers circle the tree. "They're. . .Not moving. . .Anytime soon." Logan panted.

Carlos and Kendall climbed further down to the branches beside James and Logan. Kendall unshouldered his bag and rummaged around, before pulling out the gauze and a water bottle. Logan was about to take the bottle but Kendall pulled back. "I'll do it. Your hands are hurting you, I can see it."

"Plus you're exhausted from pulling James up." Carlos pointed out as he took the bag from Kendall, swinging it over his shoulder.

Logan sighed through his panting, and carefully moved for Kendall to take his spot in front of James. Carlos helped Logan sit by him and held him tightly, feeling that Logan could barely hold onto the tree by himself.

Kendall was grateful that James' position allowed James to rest without needing to grip the tree, because he could tell that James was just as exhausted as Logan. Neither could stop panting, and both could barely keep their eyes open.

Kendall sent James a sympathetic look before taking his foot. "You ready?"

James nodded, gripping the tree beneath him tightly.

Kendall quickly poured the water onto the hole where the claw dug into, making James hiss and grunt. Then Kendall wrapped it tightly. "There." He breathed.

"Thanks." James whispered.

"You can't exactly walk properly on it though." Kendall said as he moved beside James and wrapped an arm around him, allowing James to rest his head on Kendall's chest.

"I doubt we'll be walking around any time soon anyways." Carlos said bitterly as he watched the panthers settle down at the base of the tree.

Kendall sighed. "I guess we're staying up here for a while." He turned to Carlos. "Anymore coconuts or pears left?"

Carlos swung the bag over and gave two pears to Kendall, who gave his second to James.

Carlos offered a pair to Logan but he merely shook his head. "Not hungry." He said.

Carlos frowned, but shrugged it off and took his own, then the rest ate in silence.

Barely ten minutes later James and Logan were passed out against Kendall and Carlos. The sun was just beginning to set, and the panthers curled together and went to sleep at the bottom as well.

Carlos stared down at Logan's sleeping face, noting the light sheen of sweat that coated it. He could feel Logan's skin burning as he laid against him, and his breaths seemed slightly labored.

"Kendall." Carlos hissed quietly. "I think Logie's getting sick!"

"Fever?" Kendall hissed back. Carlos nodded, making Kendall sigh. "That could either be from the weather, or. . .Infection." He whispered dreadingly.

Carlos' eyes widened and he looked down at Logan's wrapped hands. "What do we do?" Carlos whispered.

"I don't know." Kendall whispered back. "Pray that help comes soon I guess."

Carlos' heart dropped. He looked back down at Logan's sleeping form, then over to James, sleeping in Kendall's arms. Carlos slowly glanced at James' wrapped foot in worry.

_'Please let help come soon.'_ Carlos prayed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: My friend and sister helped me figure out how to do the Carlos part in this one, so thank them. Otherwise it would've never gotten done. :P So much action!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Kendall woke with a jolt, his heart racing. It took him a minute to register where he was, and James' hand on his chest. He looked over at James in confusion.

"You almost fell." James explained.

Kendall's heart finally settled. "Thanks." He breathed. "How's your foot?"

James glanced at his foot and dropped his gaze. "It hurts." He muttered.

Kendall sighed sympathetically. He glanced down below them to see the two panthers still sleeping soundly at the bottom of their tree. Then a whimper brought his attention back up.

"Logie?" Carlos asked worriedly.

Logan's face was scrunched up in pain, his hands gripping the fabric of Carlos' shirt tightly. "Hurts." He whimpered.

"What does?" Carlos asked worriedly. "Your hands?" He gently pried Logan's grip from his shirt and held his hand gently.

"Everything." Logan whimpered.

Kendall's heart started racing again. He carefully propped James back against the trunk of the tree and moved to Logan, taking one of his hands. Then he started unwrapping it.

Logan cried out as his hand stung with the action, and Carlos tightened his hold around Logan comfortingly.

Finally the gauze was off, and Kendall could see the swelling and inflammation. "It _is_ infected." He announced solemnly.

"Oh no." Carlos whispered tearfully. "What do we do?"

"Hey,". James cut in. "Do you guys hear that?"

The others frowned in confusion, then stopped and listened. It was the sound of. . .An engine. . .Propellers. . .A helicopter!

"The rescuers!" Kendall exclaimed. "We have to signal them somehow!" He quickly re-wrapped Logan's hand.

"But how?" James asked. "We can't make a signal fire this fast! They'll pass right over us before we even get the fire going!"

"We need a fast way to make a fire." Kendall thought.

"What about the plane?" Carlos asked. "Maybe there's something that could help us in there, since it never did explode."

"Carlos you're a genius!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Okaaay,". James began. "But how do we get down?"

Kendall glanced down at the sleeping panthers, formulating a plan in his head. He looked around, observing the area. "Okay, the plane is that way." He said, pointing to the left. "Hmm." He thought, going through it in his head. "Okay. I'm going to led them away. Once they're a good distance from you, bolt in that direction to the plane."

"Kendall, that's-" James started.

"It's the only option we've got." Kendall cut him off. "I'll lead them away and Carlos, you help Logan and James down and towards the plane. I'll catch up with you guys once I lose them."

The others shared worried glances, before reluctantly nodding.

"Okay." Kendall said. "Be ready." Then he started climbing down the tree.

"Kendall." James called as he and Carlos helped Logan up. Kendall stopped and turned to James. "You better be right behind us." James said firmly. Kendall nodded.

"Be careful." Logan said weakly.

Kendall nodded. "You too." He looked to them all. "Stay safe."

"You too." Carlos said worriedly.

Kendall nodded and quietly climbed down the tree. The others apprehensively peeked over and watched, holding their breath.

Kendall stealthily reached the ground and crept around the sleeping cats, then tip-toed forward, in the opposite direction of the plane. He tried to get as much distance as possible in between him and the cats, before he accidentally stepped on a twig.

The panthers' ears perked up, their heads shot up, and they spotted Kendall. Slowly they rose, creeping closer to him in a zigzag motion.

With each step the panthers took closer, Kendall took a quiet one back. Sweat dripped down his brow but he pushed back his fear. He shot a glance up at his friends watching in the tree, sending up a silent prayer that they would be okay.

Then, Kendall bolted.

The panthers growled and ran after him.

Carlos let out a sob as Kendall faded from his view. Then he sniffled and hauled Logan's arm over his shoulders. "Come on."

"Yeah." James said. "We want to be at the plane when Kendall comes to meet us."

With great difficulty, and plenty of pained grunts and cries, Carlos managed to help James and Logan down the tree and on to the ground. Carlos had one of Logan's arms around his shoulders, holding him up, and had James on his other side, helping him walk.

James tried to use Carlos as a crutch as little as possible, while also trying to help him carry Logan, reaching around Carlos to hold Logan as well. Slowly, they all made their way through the forest.

* * *

Kendall ran as fast as he could, hearing the approaching steps of the panthers behind him. They were fast, he had to be faster. But he couldn't outrun panthers, he knew that.

So, either Kendall was soon going to get mauled. . .Or he'd have to think of a plan.

And fast.

Kendall looked around, observing his surroundings for anything he could use to help him. He thought about climbing another tree, but that still didn't get rid of the panthers. So he kept running.

Soon the forest started thinning out, and Kendall found himself running alongside a cliff. An idea started forming in his head.

Kendall chanced a glance at the pursuing panthers behind him, then he carefully peeked over the edge of the cliff, looking along the side. Then he looked back into the forest.

Just as Kendall suspected. The trees had long vines dangling from them, along with vines laying along the ground.

Okay. This was going to work. It had to work. If it didn't. . .

It had to work.

Kendall bolted left, back into the forest. The panthers skidded a bit, slightly thrown off by the sudden direction change, but were back in hot pursuit in no time.

Kendall wasted no time. He scanned the ground as he ran, until finally he saw what he needed coming up ahead of him. Without slowing down, Kendall scooped up a long vine, tested its strength, and then tied a loop at the end.

Kendall swerved left again, running along the side of the cliff. Once the panthers had changed direction yet again, Kendall swerved again to the left, running straight for the cliff.

Testing the strength of his vine one more time, Kendall waited until he was at the edge of the forest, before swinging the vine around a tree, catching the other end and slipping it through the loop. Then, without hesitation, Kendall dived right off the edge.

The wild panthers didn't have time to register what was happening before they'd already dived off the edge, and they fell the long distance to the river below, flying right passed Kendall where he hung from the vine.

Kendall watched as the cats fell to their death. Their bodies splashed in the water and Kendall breathed a sigh of relief, before climbing the vine back to the top of the cliff. He had to go meet the guys.

* * *

It seemed like forever, but finally James, Carlos and Logan started to hear the faint roar of fire, and smell smoke. They broke through the trees and found the large plane, exactly how they'd left it.

After the two days, the fire had settled, so the smoke wouldn't raise above the trees, and the flames didn't spread around them, nor would it be seen from above.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Carlos asked as he stared at the plane.

"We have to think of something, and fast." James said.

Logan weakly lifted his head to observe the plane. His fever ridden mind was having trouble working properly, and he frowned, trying to concentrate. He closed his eyes, trying to formulate a plan in his head. "Think." He muttered to himself. "Come on, think." But the concentration only aggravated his headache, and he brought a hand to it in pain, letting out a small grunt of pain.

"Logan, don't." Carlos said gently as he lowered Logan to sit on the ground, leaning against a tree. "Just relax. We'll think of something." James slumped down beside him, nodding in agreement.

"We don't have time for relaxing." Logan strained in pain and frustration. "We have to. . ." Then a thought hit him. "Coconuts. We need coconuts. And vines. Really long ones."

"I'll get them." Carlos said. "You guys stay here. I'll be right back."

They nodded as Carlos ran off. James wrapped an arm around Logan and pulled him close, trying to ignore his grunts of pain. "It'll be okay Logie. We're gonna get out of here."

* * *

Another window shattered as the coconut burst through it, allowing smoke to billow out and raise to the sky. As per Logan's instructions, Carlos had tied the coconuts to the vines, and was swinging them into the plane windows, trying to get the smoke out so that maybe someone would see it from above.

Once all the windows were shattered, Carlos rejoined his slumping friends at the base of a tree.

"They're all broken." Carlos breathed. "Do you think someone will see it?"

James observed the windows, and the smoke raising to the sky. "I don't think so." James answered weakly. "There's not enough smoke, it won't make it passed the trees. We need a plan B."

Carlos looked back to the plane worriedly, trying to find a way to think of a plan. But nothing came to mind. He turned back to his friends, taking in their exhausted expressions. He didn't know what to do. Devastated, frustrated, and fearful tears rose to his eyes.

James sighed at Carlos sympathetically. He looked back to the plane to try to figure out what to do, but he drew a blank as well. Normally Logan or Kendall were the masterminds. James looked down at Logan. "Logie?" He asked softly.

Logan's breaths were shallow, sweat covering his tired face. His eyes were closed and his face tightened in pain.

James' face fell sympathetic and apologetic. "You think you could focus Logie, for just a minute? We need another plan."

Logan opened his eyes a slit, trying to think. He weakly looked back at the plane, frowning in concentration. Finally a thought hit him. "The flare gun." He said weakly. "You need to find. . .The flare gun."

"That's perfect!" James exclaimed.

"Okay." Carlos said. "So, where would the flare gun be?" They looked back to Logan.

Logan's body was slowly relaxing against James, the exhaustion he tried to fight against, winning out.

"Come on Logan." James said softly as he gently shook Logan awake. "Just a little longer." Logan's eyes slowly opened and James held him close to gain his focus. "Where would the flare gun be? It wasn't in the bag like you thought before, so where else would it be?" He asked slowly.

Logan frowned, his glazing eyes trying to focus. "The. . .The cabinets." He breathed. "Or. . .The cockpit."

"Okay." Carlos nodded. "I'll go look for it."

"Carlos-" James tried, starting to sit up.

Carlos held his hand out, stopping James. "Your foot is hurt. You need to stay with Logie. It's okay James, I'll be fine." He offered a small smile.

James sighed and leaned back, holding Logan tightly. "Alright. But be careful."

Carlos nodded. "I will. I'll be back in a bit. Just sit tight." Then he turned around back to the plane and started forward.

Carlos stopped in front of the plane and looked around, searching for a way inside. He spotted a tree near the plane that looked easy enough to climb.

Carlos ran over to the tree and started climbing. He was suddenly thankful for all those times he and the guys would climb trees back in Minnesota. Sure he'd had his fair share of broken bones from falling out of the trees, but he'd also become exceptionally good at it the more he climbed.

In no time, Carlos was level with the top of the plane. It was a far step, so he'd have to jump for it. Gaining the nerve, he took a deep breath, and leapt forward, landing on the top of the plane. Then he carefully walked across to one of the side doors, grabbed the top of the doorway, and swing himself in.

Smoke invaded Carlos' eyes and nose immediately, and his eyes stung, his lungs burning. Tears rose to his eyes and his coughed. He pulled the collar of his shirt over his nose and squinted into the black smoke. He held a hand out tentatively, searching for a chair or a wall to guide him to the back.

Finally finding the doorway to the next cabin, Carlos slowly felt along the wall, squinting to see the cabinets. He reached out for a handle but stopped, when he remembered what Logan did before. Carlos turned around, looking for more fabric. The cabinet with the blankets was still open from earlier, and luckily there was still a slightly charred blanket left. Carlos grabbed it and began opening all the cabinets, searching for the flare gun.

Last one and still no sign of the gun. Carlos huffed in frustration, then broke out into a coughing fit. Then he remembered that Logan said it could also be in the cockpit. Carlos turned and looked down the hall, arched by fire. The wall of fire in front of the cockpit hadn't risen any higher than over the suitcases sitting on top of them.

Carlos carefully trudged forward, being wary of the flames climbing up the walls and engulfing the seats. Finally he reached the front and quickly jumped over the fire into the cockpit.

Carlos took in his surroundings, and almost lost what little food he had in his stomach at what he saw. He had forgotten what to expect, what Kendall had told them.

The bodies of the two pilots in the seats were burned beyond recognition now. Their skin singed to a dark brown color, welts covering their bodies.

Carlos gagged, then coughed. Tears reached his eyes and he fell to his knees, turning away from the sight as he coughed, a small sob escaping. But he couldn't be weak now, he couldn't be squeamish at the sight of a couple dead bodies. He had a job to do. An item to find.

Carlos rose shakily, then turned back. He looked around the pilots and the front controls. Still, no other compartment that would hold a flare gun. Carlos turned around to go back but stopped, there was a shelf by the door.

Carlos quickly scoured the shelf, the little cabinets, each compartment. From top, all the way to the bottom, left, to right.

There, in the compartment on the bottom right. Carlos yanked it open and there it was, sitting there. Carlos quickly yanked the gun and tucked it in his pocket, securing it. Then he turned and jumped back over the cases.

It didn't seem like he'd been in there long, but still, the smoke felt a lot thicker to Carlos as he slowly made his way down the cabins. It was getting harder to see, harder to breathe. Carlos kept coughing, gasping. His eyes burned with the smoke. His strength was fading, black dots invaded his vision as he coughed and gasped for air.

The exit was a little bit further, Carlos could _just_ make it out behind the smoke. He was almost there. He could make it.

Carlos tried to push forward, but his lungs burned, his vision blurred, and his knees buckled. He fell to his knees, coughing. He couldn't make it.

_"Carlos!"_

Carlos weakly looked up. He thought he heard something. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

"Carlos!"

Now Carlos vaguely saw someone swing in through the doorway, the same way he had. Or did he? He wasn't sure what was real anymore. Was that really someone coming to help him? His foggy mind couldn't think straight.

"Carlos!" The figure called, before spotting Carlos in the aisles on his hands and knees, coughing. The figure ran over to him, kneeling down beside him. "Carlos." He breathed.

* * *

**Author's note: I hate to leave you guys on yet, another cliff-hanger, but you'll have to wait 'til Saturday for the next chapter. Tomorrow is Friday, and as I said, Friday is strictly for 'Damaged'. ;) Sorry! ^^;**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: Lots of action in this one too. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter 7

James squeezed Logan as tightly as his own fading strength would allow. His foot burned, and he was exhausted from walking on it. Worry threatened to send him into blind panic as he stared at the burning plane. As he stared at the doorway he last saw Carlos go through.

"Come on." James muttered to himself. "Come on Carlos. Make it back here."

A rustle in the bushes to his left caught James' attention. Fear gripped his heart and he squeezed Logan protectively closer. He looked around for anything he could use as a weapon but there was nothing. They were defenseless.

James' heart dropped and he watched the bushes in apprehension and dread. He prayed that it wasn't anything too dangerous.

Suddenly the figure emerged, and James' heart skipped a beat, before he registered who it was. "Kendall!" He exclaimed.

Kendall's head shot to James' direction and he immediately started running over to them. "James! Logan!" Kendall slid to the ground on his knees by the two, breathing heavily. "Are you guys alright?" He asked.

James nodded. "Relatively. You?"

"Yeah." Kendall breathed, then nodded to Logan. "How's he doing?"

James glanced down at Logan in his arms, his eyes closed but face scrunched up weakly in pain. "Not any better." James said softly.

Kendall sighed, then looked around. "Where's Carlos?"

James sighed. "We needed the flare gun Kendall, it's the last option we have."

Kendall's eyes widened as his head shot back to James. "You don't mean. . ."

"He went inside the plane." James answered solemnly. "Kendall,". He added worriedly. "He's been in there for a while."

Kendall looked back to the plane in worry, then turned back to James. "I'll be right back."

James nodded. "Be careful."

Kendall nodded and walked a little bit, before finding a long and sturdy stick. He walked back and set it by James. "You too." He said, before running towards the plane.

James held the stick close as a weapon, just in case, then turned back to the retreating Kendall. "Carlos climbed the tree!" James yelled after him.

Kendall considered James' words and looked around for the tree closest to the plane. Once he spotted it, he ran over and started climbing. He moved as fast as he could up the tree, then jumped across to the plane. He carefully walked across the top to the nearest doorway.

"Carlos!" Kendall yelled. He grabbed the top of the doorway and swung into the plane, landing on his feet. Smoke obscured his vision and burned his lungs, making him cough. "Carlos!" He strained, trying to see.

The sound of coughing emitted to his right, and Kendall shot his head to see Carlos on his hands and knees, gasping for air. "Carlos!" As fast as he could he ran down the aisles, falling to his knees by his friend. He laid a hand on Carlos' shoulder. "Carlos." He breathed.

Carlos weakly looked up at Kendall. "Kendall?" He asked through his coughing.

Kendall nodded. "Let's get you out of here." Then he slung Carlos' arm around his shoulder and they stood shakily, slowly making their way to the exit.

Luckily, the same door they'd used before was still intact, the slide not having deflated yet. Kendall grabbed a charred blanket that laid on the floor and mimicked what James had done for him previously; He draped the blanket over Carlos and himself, pulling it over their heads, then dived down the slide.

Kendall flew the blanket off the moment they hit the ground, and turned to Carlos. He rolled Carlos onto his back, to see his face.

Carlos coughed and gasped as the smoke was leaving his lungs. Kendall helped him turn on his side and rubbed his back. Finally Carlos settled and laid there, breathing hard. He looked up at Kendall. "Thanks." He breathed.

Kendall smiled. "You okay?" He asked. Carlos nodded and Kendall sighed in relief. Then he slung one of Carlos' arms over his shoulder, helping him stand. Then they walked over to the tree.

"Are you guys okay?" James called as they neared him. He saw the whole thing, but he just had to be sure.

Carlos nodded. "Sorry." He said softly.

James offered a small smile. "It's okay. As long as you're alright. It's just a good thing Kendall showed up when he did. Otherwise I might've had to come in there and get you myself." He joked lightly.

Carlos smiled lightly. Then he reached behind him to his back pocket, pulling out the flare gun to show them.

"You got it!" Kendall exclaimed. "Way to go Carlos!" He gently helped Carlos sit by James and took the flare gun, holding it above his head, pointed to the sky.

"Wait." James stopped him. He looked above them. "I don't think they'll see it. The trees are too tall."

"Then what do we do?" Kendall asked.

They all fell silent, trying desperately to come up with a plan.

"The plane." Logan whispered weakly.

James held him closer to hear him better. "What's that buddy?"

"The plane." Logan whispered. "Explode. . ."

Kendall's eyes widened in realization. "That's genius!"

"What is?" Carlos asked in confusion.

"We'll explode the plane." Kendall said. "Come on, we gotta get a safe distance from here. And fast. Before the rescuers miss us."

Kendall slung James' arm around his shoulders, and Carlos did the same for Logan. Then they carefully moved away from the plane, trying to go as fast as they could.

* * *

"Do you think this is far enough?" James asked.

Kendall looked behind him before continuing forward. "Not yet. The explosion will be big. We need some form of cover or we'll get singed."

"We don't have a lot of time." Carlos stated, looking at the barely visible sky through the trees, then down at the weak and hurt Logan. "We need to get those rescuers' attention _soon_." Carlos said worriedly.

Kendall searched around, looking for some form of cover so they could be safe enough from the blast. Finally he spotted a small grove that dipped enough for them to hide behind, allowing the blast to fly over them. Hopefully.

"This way." Kendall said as he helped James walk. Carlos followed carrying Logan, and he and Kendall both lowered their injured friends into the small rut.

James sat on the ground and pulled Logan close to him, then pulled Carlos over as he sat beside Logan.

Kendall leaned over the small ledge, the flare gun tight in his hand. He could still vaguely make out the plane. He trained the gun to where the engine should be. "Get ready." He said.

In response, James covered Logan, then reached around for Carlos. Carlos covered Logan as much as he could reach.

Kendall looked down at his friends, a solemn smile on his face. If this didn't work, they could all die.

It had to work.

Kendall took aim, took a deep breath, then fired the flare. The red smoke trailed behind the rapidly speeding flare, straight towards the plane.

Kendall quickly ducked down and threw himself over all of his friends, holding them tightly, and feeling their tight hold on him in response. All they could do now was pray that it worked. That the rescuers would see it. That they remained safe, and alive.

* * *

"Any sign?" A man asked into a radio.

"None yet." The radio answered. "Nothing like a plane crash."

"Well keep looking." The man said as he steered the ship. "Those boys have to be here somewhere."

"Yes sir." The radio said.

The captain rubbed a hand over his eyes. They'd been searching all day through the wide open sea, and still no sign of the crash.

"Wait." The radio crackled in. "I see something. An island, coming up ahead."

The captain looked through his front window and smiled. "Nice work. See if you can find anything from your bird's eye view."

"Roger that." The radio said.

Finally a lead. An island. A small chance that the plane could've crashed here. It was a very small chance, but one nonetheless.

The boat and the chopper circled the island. Still nothing.

"They may not be here, sir." The radio said.

"And they _may_ _be_ here." The captain retorted. "We shouldn't give up so soon. They may not have any means to signal us."

"Or they're dead." The pilot muttered dryly.

"That's not the kind of talk for a rescuer, young man." The captain scolded. "Keep looking."

"Of course sir, sorry sir." The pilot said through the radio. He circled around the island some more, trying to see into the thick canopy of trees. Still he saw nothing.

The captain circled the island with his large ship, searching for any sign of life. But it wasn't looking so good. He sighed, picking up his radio. "Maybe you're right." He said solemnly. "It doesn't look like anyone's here. Let's keep going and-"

But a sudden explosion interrupted the captain.

The shockwave of the explosion hit the copter, forcing it out of control. The pilot quickly took action, trying to steady it.

"What was that?" The captain asked as his ship teetered with the force. "Are you alright up there?"

Finally the helicopter steadied. "Yeah." The pilot breathed through the radio. "I saw where it came from. It's deep in the forest."

"It has to be them." The captain said to himself. "Go down there and see if they're alright!"

"Yes sir! I'm radio-ing for back-up now!" The pilot said, before steering the chopper towards where he saw the explosion erupt, smoke billowing through the trees.

* * *

Kendall coughed as smoke buried them and blackened the forest around them. "Guys." He strained. "Is everyone alright?"

Kendall got more coughing in response. He carefully got up, leaning on his knees, and surveyed his friends.

"Wow." James coughed. "That was loud."

"Scarier than I thought." Carlos coughed. He quickly looked himself over. "But I'm okay."

James nodded. "Me too. More or less." Then they all looked down to Logan. Logan was coughing like the rest, but he managed a weak nod.

"Okay." Kendall breathed. "If they didn't see that, then I don't know _what_ they would. We should get out of here, before the smoke gets worse."

The others nodded and Kendall and Carlos helped James and Logan back up, then they walked in the opposite direction of the smoke.

"We should try and find a clearing." Kendall strained. "Maybe they're looking for us now."

They're steps were slow, weak. The smoke was suffocating them. They couldn't stop coughing, they couldn't breathe. They walked as fast as they could, trying to get out of the smoke.

Carlos was the first to collapse. He fell to his knees, dropping Logan as well. He coughed and gasped, black spots clouding his vision.

"Carlos." James strained weakly, then his legs buckled beneath him, bringing Kendall down as well.

Kendall coughed. "Come on guys." He strained. "Just a little further. We can do it."

Logan's eyes closed. Carlos slumped to the ground. James' body relaxed on the ground.

"Come on." Kendall whispered weakly. "We. . .Have, to. . ." Then he collapsed.

* * *

Kendall barely regained consciousness to see men swarming around him and his friends. They all had masks on and put masks on his friends as well.

A man suddenly appeared by Kendall and put a mask over his face as well. Cool air blew on Kendall's face, entering his mouth and nose, and opening his airways. The sudden oxygen made him cough harshly, and he weakly rolled to his side, trying to expel the smoke in his lungs. Kendall could vaguely feel someone holding him, helping him on his side, and rubbing his back.

Suddenly Kendall was being lifted on a stretcher. They moved through the trees fast.

Kendall's strength was fading. Only one thought was on his mind. He tried to voice it but he was too weak and could barely manage a small whisper, before he lost consciousness again.

_'What about my friends?'_


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: Last chapter. I hope I did alright, and satisfied your guys' requests. If not, I'm sorry. -_-'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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Chapter 8

He frowned as an incessant noise roused him from his sleep. He breathed in for a sigh but erupted in a coughing fit. That's when he registered the breathing mask on his face.

"Kendall?" Someone asked in a worried voice.

Kendall suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He settled his coughing and looked up at the person gently rubbing his arm with their thumb. Kendall smiled weakly. "Mom." He rasped.

Mrs. Knight gathered Kendall in a tight hug, tears falling down her face. "I was so worried." She whispered. "When we heard that the plane crashed. . .I thought. . ."

Kendall rubbed his mother's back soothingly. "It's okay mom." He rasped. "I'm okay now."

Mrs. Knight pulled away with a tearful smile and sniffled. "I know. Thank goodness."

Kendall smiled at her. Then his foggy mind registered another thought, and his eyes widened. "Mom, where's-"

Mrs. Knight held up a hand to cease him. "They're alive." She said. "They're all in the next rooms down. You can go and see them once the doctor checks up on you and I sign you out."

Kendall visibly relaxed. "How are they? Have they woken up yet?"

Mrs. Knight nodded. "James woke up first. Katie's with him now. The doctor treated his foot, and he should be fine in a few days. He'll need a crutch for a little while though, and they're gonna keep him overnight."

Kendall nodded. "He won't like that very much." He joked lightly.

"He'll live." Mrs. Knight said with a smile. "Carlos has a mild concussion, but he's fine too. Already out of bed and walking around. He's with James and Katie."

Kendall chuckled lightly. "That's Carlos for ya. Never could stay still for too long."

Mrs. Knight chuckled lightly as well. "Well you seem so much better." Kendall nodded. "How about I get the doctor to check up on you and we can get out of here?" Mrs. Knight said with a small smile.

Kendall frowned, confusion and fear raising up. "Mom? What about Logan?"

Mrs. Knight sighed. "He's alive." She started.

"Is he okay?" Kendall asked worriedly.

"His hands were very badly burned." Mrs. Knight said solemnly. "It may take a long while before they're healed. Plus they got infected. But the doctors gave him something to fight the infection, and his fever has gone down some. It's all up to him now. The doctors are gonna keep him for at least a week, possibly more. But they have hope in him. And so do I."

"Can I see him?" Kendall asked.

Mrs. Knight nodded. "He hasn't woken up since he was brought in, but once we get you and Carlos checked out, we'll go see him."

Kendall nodded, too anxious to even stay in his bed now.

* * *

_"Can you hear me?"_

He frowned. What was that? His foggy mind couldn't comprehend anything.

_"We're right here buddy. It's okay."_

There it was again. The voice. What was that? Where was he? And why did his hands hurt so much?

_"Open your eyes, Logie. It's okay."_

Logan frowned again. He slowly pried his eyes open, his vision blurry.

"Logan?"

Finally Logan's eyes adjusted and he could make out the faces of Kendall, James, Carlos, Katie and Mrs. Knight staring down at him.

"Hey." Logan rasped weakly.

They all smiled. "Hey." Kendall said softly. "How are you feeling?"

Logan thought about it for a bit, before he realized exactly how he felt. "Horrible." He rasped.

James chuckled bitterly. "Well what do you expect when you get stranded on a remote island for two days, running for your life and burning your hands, before finally passing out from too much smoke inhalation?" He joked lightly.

"We did all that?" Logan feigned contemplation. "Wow. We sure know how to party, don't we?"

"You can say that again." Carlos smiled lightly.

"Just. . ." Katie began awkwardly. "Don't do it again. Okay?" She asked softly.

Kendall wrapped her in a one-armed hug. "Don't worry baby sister. That was more than enough adventure for us for the month." He joked. They all chuckled.

"So,". Logan began softly. "How are you guys? No one's hurt are they?" He asked worriedly.

"We're fine Logan." Kendall assured with a smile. "Carlos has a mild concussion and James needs to stay off his foot for a few days, but we're okay. Carlos and I are already checked out." He offered a smile.

"I gotta stay overnight for infection watch." James informed bitterly. "But at least I'll be here with you." He smiled.

Logan smiled back. "Well good. I'm glad everyone's okay."

"Us too." Mrs. Knight said as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, then touched Kendall's face lovingly. "We were so worried about you boys."

"Me too." Carlos muttered. "I didn't think we'd ever get off that island."

"Especially so fast." James added. "It was only two days."

"Well you can thank Gustavo and Kelly for that." Mrs. Knight said with a smile. "They had every search and rescue worker combing the ocean for you boys. They didn't care how much it cost."

"Wow." Kendall said in surprise. "I didn't think Gustavo had the heart. Kelly I can understand but Gustavo? Wow."

"You'd be surprised." Mrs. Knight smiled. "They were both so worried."

"Well now they can rest easy." James said. "We're all alive and okay, and back to civilization again."

"I'm surprised you guys didn't fit right in with the wild animals." Katie joked.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Kendall said, before pulling Katie on his lap and giving her a 'nuggie'. James joined in and started tickling her sides, and Logan threw a pillow at her.

"I bet if you were there, you'd end up as the animals' dictator." Logan joked.

"Hey, someone's gotta organize the chaos of the wild." Katie said when Kendall released her. "Why do you think I hang with _you_ dorks?"

This time James grabbed her and tickled her neck, while Kendall tickled her sides.

"I know one thing." Carlos said as they all sobered. "I don't think I'll be going on vacation again any time soon." The whole room erupted in laughter.

* * *

**Author's note: And there you have it. Hope it was good. Sorry for the sucky ending. :P**

**Hope you liked it BookWorkKendall and TalidaMueller!**


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